The Tradition in the Story
by LJLanham
Summary: Picking up where The Story in the Truth left off... Booth and Brennan celebrating Christmas and moving on to their new positions at work while still exploring the growth in their relationship.
1. Traditions

**A/N- This story picks up where "The Story in the Truth" left off… in fact two days later. I really appreciate the response to the original story, and I hope you enjoy this continuation. As always, your reviews mean a lot, so please let me know what you think!**

Chapter 1 – Traditions

"That's it!" Seeley Booth exclaimed, dragging his partner by the hand.

"Slow down, Booth," Brennan called out through her giggles.

That was a sound he thought he'd never get used to. In the seven months since they'd returned from their separate sabbaticals and decided that they wanted a romantic relationship, hearing Temperance Brennan actually giggle with happiness had become his favorite sound.

"Sorry, Bones," he said as he pulled her up beside him. "But this is it. It's perfect."

"It is beautiful," she answered as she looked up at the majestic spruce, her breath showing in the crisp morning air.

"You like it?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "You're right, it's the one. What do we do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Booth," she said. "I've never done this before, how to do we get it home?"

"You've never picked out a Christmas tree?"

"No," she answered. "Dad and Russ always went out to get the tree while Mom and I got the decorations ready."

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her temple. Sometimes, it still got to him… all the things she'd missed out on in her teen years. He wanted to make up for all of it. He wanted to give her the world-starting with Christmas traditions of their own.

"Well then," he said softly. "We'll just have to make this a new family tradition."

"You and me?" she asked with a smile. "Choosing our own Christmas tree?"

"Yep," he said.

"And next week when you have Parker, we can do it again," she replied, smiling.

"Again?"

"Yes," she answered. "This one for my place, and we'll take Parker to choose one for yours."

"Two trees, Bones?" he asked. "Isn't that a little excessive?"

"While it's true that you spend most nights at my apartment," she said, "you're not there every night. I know how much the holidays mean to you… and to Parker. It's only right that we decorate both apartments."

He couldn't disagree with her logic…but then again, he rarely could.

"So," she said, getting back to her original question. "What do we do now?"

"We find the attendant and buy this tree," he said. "You stay here, and don't let anyone take it. I'll be right back with the guy."

He laughed as she smiled and gave him a military-style salute.

Before long, the tree was strapped to the top of the SUV and they were slowly making their way through the ice-covered streets of DC.

"Isn't the craft fair at Parker's school this weekend?" she asked.

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, I thought it might be a nice addition to our new Christmas traditions," she said. "Perhaps we can choose some handmade decorations to start our collection."

He thought back to their discussion when he'd convinced her to go out and pick a tree for her apartment. She'd told him that she didn't really have any Christmas decorations since she hadn't celebrated the holiday much since her parents disappeared.

"_I'll bring over some of my special ones,"_ he'd told her. Every year, Parker made him an ornament to add to the tree and he had some from his own childhood that Pops had saved for him. _"And maybe we can pick out some new ones together."_

"That's a great idea, baby," he said. "Let's get this tree home and set up. We can check it out and it if it is time for the craft show, we can head over there."

He felt warm all over when a huge smile spread across her face.

"Maybe Rebecca would even let us take Parker with us, since it is an event for his school," she suggested.

"She might," he answered. "I'll give her a call."

**BnBnBnB**

"Okay, bub. Do we have everything?" Booth asked, surveying the boxes of lights decorations that were strewn about his partner's living room.

"I think so," Parker answered.

"Lights?" Booth asked.

"Check," Parker answered.

"Decorations?"

"Check. We have the box from your house and the ones that you and Bones just got."

"Hot chocolate?"

"Check."

"Gingerbread cookies?"

"Check."

"Then I think we're ready to get started."

"Not so fast, boys," Brennan said. She was leaning against the doorframe to the hallway.

"Why, Bones?" Parker asked. "We got everything we need to decorate your tree. We were just missing you!"

"What's that behind your back?" Booth asked.

She bit her lip as she walked over to join the boys in her living room. She handed Booth the box in question.

"What's this?" he asked.

"My contribution," she said. "My dad gave this to me a couple of years ago. Open it."

Booth took the lid off the box to find what he assumed were the remnants of her childhood Christmases. There were a few handmade ornaments as well as some really beautiful antique glass bulbs.

He took out a beautiful silver star tree topper and held it up.

"This is gorgeous, Bones," he said.

"It was my mother's," she answered. "From when she was a little girl. When we were finished decorating the tree, my dad would hold me up and I'd place it on the top. I couldn't believe my dad kept it."

Booth leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

"That's a tradition we can continue," he said.

The three of them had a great time decorating the tree. It was the perfect blend of past, present and future. All too soon, it was finished and it was time to get Parker back home to Rebecca's. She'd allowed him to go with them to the craft fair and stay for dinner and decorating, but he had to be home before bedtime. She didn't want him cranky when she and Drew took him to pick out their tree in the morning.

**BnBnBnB**

Later that evening, Brennan leaned back into the cradle of Booth's embrace, as they sat on the couch basking in the sparkle of the tree.

"Thank you for today," she said.

"Thank _you_," he replied with a kiss to her temple. "Thanks for making sure Parker was included."

"You said it was a family tradition," she answered simply. "Parker is a part of that. A big part."

"You really consider him family, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she answered, surprised that he seemed surprised. "He's your son. If we're a family, he is a part of it."

"I think it was a perfect day," he said, pulling her even closer.

"Almost," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Parker kept calling it my tree," she said. "Not _our_ tree."

"I guess that's because this is your place, baby," he said. "Even though we spend a lot of time here, he still thinks of my place as home."

"Would he think of this as home if you lived here all the time?"

He sat up straighter and looked at her.

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" he said.

"Move in with me," she answered.

"Really?"

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. We have been together more than half a year, and we spend most nights together anyway," she said logically. "And if I'm being honest, I don't sleep as well when we're apart."

"Neither do I," he admitted. "So, when would we do this?"

"Right away," she answered, never one to waiver once she'd made a decision. "Cullen told you that you could take the next two weeks off to prepare to transition into your new position. I have plenty of vacation time accrued, so we could take of starting tomorrow until after New Years. We finished shopping for Parker's gifts yesterday, so we don't really have anything else scheduled…"

She paused, looking up to see if she could gauge his reaction. She still wasn't always very good at reading people, but most of the time, she knew Booth the way she knew her bones. This wasn't one of those times, his face bore no indication of what he might be thinking. This made her nervous.

"But if you don't want to, or it's too much once with the new job and all…"

He stopped her babbling with a passionate kiss. She turned in his arms to settle more comfortably into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as his tightened around her waist.

"Of course I want to," he said, breathless as they broke the kiss. "In fact, I was thinking about how the timing couldn't be better. I was supposed to sign my new lease at the first of the year, so now is a great time to get out of it. And I think that our moving in together at the same time as we transition into our new positions is actually perfect. It's like a fresh start to our new life together."

He sat back again, pulling her close as he looked over to the tree. He was holding in his arms his very own Christmas miracle. Even though it had been seven months since they'd gotten back and gotten together, he occasionally had to remind himself that it was really happening. He was amazed at how much his partner had begun opening up to the concept of forever. He knew that she was still frightened, but she loved him more than she was scared and that was an incredible feeling. He couldn't believe that she'd really just asked him to move in with her. He'd wanted them to live together for a while, but he didn't want to push her by bringing it up. He was amazed that she'd been the one to do the asking.

He knew the perfect way to celebrate. Standing up, he reached out his hand to her and she took it. No more words were needed as he led her down the hall to their bedroom.

**BnBnBnB**

"What did Cam say?" Booth asked, pouring Brennan a cup of coffee as she walked into the kitchen.

"She was surprised," she answered. "Not only is it unusual that I requested vacation time, but I think for me to do so without notice caught her off guard. She said it wouldn't be a problem, though. It helps that I'm not really involved in the FBI cases at the moment, I think. Did you talk to Cullen?"

"Yep, we're good to go," he said. "What do you want to do first?"

"I think we need to go over to your apartment and start sorting through things," she answered, sipping her coffee.

"Sorting through things?" he asked with just a hint of trepidation.

"Of course, Booth," she said. "You have an apartment full of things; I have an apartment full of things. Everything isn't going to fit. First we have to decide which of your things you need to bring, and then we'll make room for them by seeing which of my things need to go."

She smiled as she saw the relief that came over his face.

"What?" she asked. "Did you think that I intended for you to just get rid of all your things? That wouldn't make sense."

She set down her coffee cup and walked over to him. She took his cup and set it down on the counter he was leaning on. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned in to him. He followed her lead and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Baby, I want this to be our home," she said quietly. "I don't want you to feel like you're a guest or that you're living in my place."

"I know," he answered. "And that means a lot, Bones. I'm just so happy," he said. "I'm sure we can find a way to make it work."

He knew they would; most of the stuff he used regularly was here already. Her guest room had already been turned into Parker's room, and he had more things here than he did at the other apartment. There were things that he'd like to bring out to display, like some of his sports memorabilia, that he was pretty sure she would want to veto, but he was willing to do pretty much whatever it took to make her happy, so in the end he guessed it didn't really matter.

**BnBnBnB**

After a trip to the local U-haul office to pick up boxes and arrange for a moving truck, and a stop off at the diner for a take-out lunch, they arrived at Booth's apartment.

"Maybe we should start in Parker's room," he said. "Most of his stuff is at your place already. We can pack up the rest and go ahead and take it over today."

"Okay," she answered. "Then we should do your room. I know that most of what you use is already moved, but we'll need to go through what you still have here. Is there anything that you don't need?" she asked. "Anything you might want to get rid of?"

He looked at her skeptically.

"Not saying you have to, just that if there is something it would be easier to get rid of it from here rather than moving it and then having to decide what to do with it."

"Yeah, that makes sense," he said. He figured he'd start with the boxes that hadn't been emptied since he'd moved into the place. If he hadn't used it in years, he probably never would.

"If we plan it out and stick to the plan," she said, we can have this done within the week. It would be nice to have it all finished when we have everyone over for Christmas dinner on Sunday."


	2. Packing

**AN- BnB in an established relationship is kind of new territory… at least for me, and this story runs a huge risk of going OOC. I think you'll see a little of that in this chapter. Your reviews are going to be a huge help in keeping me on track… so please tell me what you think!**

Chapter 2 – Packing

"Will all this stuff fit in Parker's room?" Booth asked, sealing up yet another box.

"Yes," Brennan answered. "We'll just need some organization. He'll need a toy box and some new shelving. I think we should take out the desk and the bookshelf that are in there now, and get some that are more suited for a child. Should we take his furniture?"

Booth shook his head.

"He really likes the bed at your place," he answered. "I don't think he'll mind if we get rid of this stuff."

She looked at her watch.

"It's still early, we can probably get a few boxes finished in your room before dinner," she said. "We could stop by the mall on the way home."

"The mall, Bones?"

"Yes, I thought we could go and pick up the things we need for Parker's room."

"Tonight?" he asked, practically whining.

"Schedule Booth, remember?" she answered. "We need to finish Parker's room today so we can move on to the rest of the house."

"Parks is fine with the room the way it is, babe."

"I know," she said. "And it has been fine, for visiting. But now it's going to be his home. I want him to know that it is his room. It's not my guest room. It's very important for children to know that they have a place. I know that he spends the majority of his time at Rebecca's, but when he's with you, he has to have a place of his own, too."

He watched as she explained, falling more in love with her by the minute. He understood why this was so important to her. She was remembering her time in the foster system, being bounced from home to home and never having a place she could call her own. She wanted to make sure that his son never had to experience those feelings. He wondered if she'd ever really understand just how big and open her heart really was.

**BnBnBnB**

One wall unit with cubbies, a desk, toy chest, new bedding and two bookshelves later, the couple walked out to the SUV.

Booth was shaking his head.

"You went crazy in there," he said with a smile. "How do you even know about Pottery Barn Kids?"

"Angela suggested it," she told him. "She's been looking through their catalogs to furnish the baby's room. She told me they had a lot of things that Parker would probably like and would still fit in with the rest of the apartment."

"You talked to Angela about buying furniture for Parker?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered.

"So, what say we put these packages in the truck and then hit PF Chang's before we go home?"

"I thought you hated chain restaurants," she said.

"I do, usually," he admitted. "But they're pretty good. Not as good as Sid's, but not bad. I really like their dumplings."

"I wish I'd known you liked it; they have a nice selection of vegetarian and gluten free menu items, too. But if we stay out to eat, we're going to end up being up later tonight."

**BnBnBnB**

"I'm stuffed, I think I could sleep for a week," he said, taking her hand as they walked back to the SUV. "What time are they delivering the furniture tomorrow?"

"Early," she answered. "They said it should arrive by ten."

"I can't believe you actually got them to deliver it tomorrow," he said. "I guess it pays to be rich and famous…. and incredibly hot."

She just smiled and shook her head.

"What? Bones, I'm serious. Did you not see the way that sales guy was looking at you? I wanted to punch him," he said, with a twinkle in his eye. "But then I thought you'd punch me, so I let it go."

"Parker's furniture is being delivered tomorrow," she said. "Does it really matter what the salesman thought of me? I didn't even notice him," she went on, casting him a look that said she would never notice any other man when he was in the room.

"No, baby," he answered. "It doesn't matter."

He led her to the vehicle, thinking of ways he could sidetrack her into going to bed when they got home. They could finish setting up Parker's room tomorrow. He had other plans for tonight.

**BnBnBnB**

"Thanks for coming over, Jar," Booth said to his brother as they sat on his living room floor surrounded by boxes and piles.

"No problem, Seel," he answered. "I just can't believe you're really moving in with Tempe."

"Neither can I," Booth said with a grin, "but here we are."

"And what are we doing again?"

"I need you to help me go through this stuff," Seeley said.

"There's no way she's gonna let you keep all this sports stuff," Jared said, pulling out a large picture frame. "Whoa," he said with just the right amount of awe to catch his brother's attention. "Can I have this?"

"No way," his brother said, grabbing the frame from his hands. "This is my signed picture of the 75-76 Flyers. Pops gave it to me. It's signed by Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach. No way I'm givin' this up."

"Come on, bro," Jared said, "Seriously, you're not gonna have room for most of this stuff at Tempe's place. Padme and I are buying a house, and she's gonna let me have a man room for all my sports and Navy stuff."

"She's gonna _let _you?" Booth said with a laugh. "Listen to us, man. We are totally whipped."

"Maybe so, but you've gotta let me have this." Jared held up a faded jersey bearing the number fourteen.

"Dude, where did you find my Pete Rose Phillies jersey? I've been looking all over the place for that."

He snatched it out of his brother's hand.

"Seeley, I thought I was here to help you get rid of some of this stuff."

"You are. Here, you can have this."

"No way," Jared said. "Seriously? This helmet was signed by Dick Vermeil and the Eagles offensive line in 1980 when they went to the Super Bowl. I can really have this?"

"Sure, take it."

"'Cause it's the Eagles, right? You are such a traitor, Seel. Where you hidin' your Steelers crap?"

"It's not crap," Booth answered defiantly. "And it's in my office at the bureau."

**BnBnBnB**

"Do you really think he's going to like it?" Brennan asked, looking around as Angela put the finishing touches on Parker's room.

The new bedding she'd purchased looked great with the bed and the new furniture. They had added framed pictures to the walls and shelves. There were pictures of Parker with Rebecca and Drew, some with Rebecca and Booth, and some with Booth and Brennan. There were some of Hank, Jared and Padme, and even the squints.

"Yeah, sweetie," Angela said. "It's great. I think the varsity sports theme is just grown up enough to not offend his pre-teen sensibilities. And he's gonna love the new desk and storage area. The toy chest is perfect to use for storing other things as he gets a little older…"

Angela paused, and watched her friend looking around the room.

"Are you okay, Bren?"

'Of course, Angela," she answered. "I'm fine."

"You looked like you were a million miles away. You're getting freaked out about the Booth boys moving in, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."

"It's only natural," Angela said, sitting down and taking her friend's hand. "I remember the first time I moved in with Jack. I was scared out of my mind. This is a big step for anyone, but it's _huge_ for you, sweetie. It's okay to be scared."

"Okay maybe I am," Brennan admitted. "A little. I mean, I know that I love Booth… and I adore Parker… and this was my idea, but now that we're actually doing it…"

"You're worried about what will happen if things don't work out," Angela said, finishing her statement.

"I don't exactly have the best track record," Brennan pointed out. "The last time I had a serious relationship, it was with Pete. And look how well that turned out."

"No, the last time you co-habitated with someone, it was Pete. You had a serious relationship with Sully after that."

"Thanks for reminding me of another of my failures, Ange."

"Not failures, Brennan," Angela said pointedly. "Lessons in life. You didn't fail in either of those relationships. Pete was just a schmuck who only wanted to get in your pants and needed a place to stay. Sully was actually a good guy who got the hell outta Dodge because he knew in his heart that you belonged with Booth. Booth isn't Pete or Sully… and you're not the same person you were with them either. You're doing the right thing, Bren. Everything is going to work out fine. Booth is your guy. Where is he, anyway?"

"At his apartment with Jared," she answered.

"They're going through his sports paraphernalia. I think he's afraid I'll want him to get rid of it all…"

"Boys and their toys," Angela said with a laugh. "I think we're finished here. Now, what?"

"I guess I'm going to go over to Booth's and start on the kitchen," she said. "Want to help?"

"You do realize that I don't know baking sheets from bed sheets, right?"

Brennan laughed.

"Yes, I know," she said. "And you don't need to worry. Most of his kitchen supplies are not coming here. I just need help packing things up."

"That, I can do," Angela said, laughing along with her.

**BnBnBnB**

A few hours later, Jared and Booth had sorted through his sports gear and Brennan and Angela had packed up the kitchen.

"Why don't you go pick up your wife," Booth said to his brother then turned to Angela, "and you call Hodgins to come meet us, and we'll all head over to Founding Fathers' for dinner."

"Sounds great," Jared said. "I'm gonna take off. We'll meet you there."

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Angela agreed. "It's been forever since we all got together."

"Don't forget you have to call Parker before bedtime," Brennan said to Booth.

"Thanks," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I remembered. I can do it on our way over to the restaurant."

Brennan stepped away from Booth's embrace to walk over and inspect the boxes that needed to be carried down to the SUV.

"She's gonna be a great mom," Angela said conspiratorially to Booth.

"You're right, but don't try to tell her that," he answered with a smile.

"Wait 'til you see Parker's room," she said. "He's gonna love it. And don't let her try to tell you I did it. That room is all Bren's doing. She really loves him, you know."

"Yeah," Booth answered. "I do. Thanks for helping her today, Ange. We've been doing a good job of doing all this together, but I think by splitting up the jobs today, we got a lot more done. We ought to be finished by tomorrow night."

**BnBnBnB**

Booth was right, with the help of their family and friends, they had his apartment cleaned out by Thursday afternoon.

Not for the first time, Brennan was glad she'd chosen to move into a three bedroom place when her dad had reappeared in her life. At the time, she'd thought she needed both a guest room and a study. It had worked out perfectly when the guest room became Parker's room and she still had a place to work at home. Now, she was sharing her office with Booth.

They'd moved his desk into the corner of the study, opposite her desk. The office, like the rest of the apartment, was a unique blend of the two of them… sports memorabilia mixed with anthropological artifacts… family photos… scientific journals and graphic novels.

The living room now boasted his video game system and DVD collection alongside her collection of LPs and CDs. His books and photos were interspersed with hers on the built-ins, and his recliner took pride of place across from the plasma screen television that she'd bought him upon his return from Afghanistan.

In the kitchen, his favorite cast iron skillet, perfect for making Pops' famous grilled cheese, was hanging on her pot rack. And his "Kiss the Cook" barbecue apron hung on the hook next to the refrigerator.

**BnBnBnB**

That night, he and Brennan lay in bed… their bed, and he held her in his arms. He looked around the room. This room had seen the least amount of change over the last week. There were more of his suits hanging in the closet and the drawers held more of his clothes, but the rest of the room had really been "theirs" for a long time.

There was already a photo of Parker on the nightstand on her side of the bed, and Brainy Smurf sat next to a photo of the two of them on his nightstand. His tie rack hung on the back of the closet door alongside the one that held her scarves.

The old tinder box that Pops gave him when he graduated Ranger school sat on top of her jewelry box and held his tie clips and cufflinks.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked as she lay quietly in his arms.

"Nothing," she said. "And everything."

"Are you happy?" he asked with just the slightest hesitation.

"Of course," she answered into his chest.

"I love you," he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you, too," she replied.

They lay in silence for a while, no words needing to be said. After a few minutes, she broke the silence.

"Booth?" she said.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Welcome home."


	3. Moving In

Chapter 3 – Moving In

As Booth pulled up in front of Rebecca's house, he began to regret his decision to not have a discussion with Parker before moving in with Bones. He knew his son would be happy about the change, but it was a big change and Parker might need some time to prepare. That was probably why Bones had insisted he come to pick up his son by himself and that the two of them go to the diner for lunch before coming home.

"Man up, Seel," he said quietly as he opened the door of the SUV. He climbed out and walked up to the front door. He'd barely had a chance to knock before the door flew open and his son was dragging him in to the house.

"Come on, Dad!" Parker said, pulling him by the arm.

"Slow down, Bub," Booth said, following along behind him. "What has you in such a hurry?"

"You've got to see what Mom and Drew got me for Christmas!"

This gave him pause; he and Rebecca always discussed big gifts before giving them to their son. He'd talked to Rebecca about Parker's laptop, and about moving in with Bones. Rebecca had mentioned buying him the printer that went with his computer, but she promised not to give it to him before he had a chance to open Bones' gift.

"I got it early 'cause they're leaving for Colorado as soon as we leave to go to your house," Parker said enthusiastically. "Check this out!"

Booth looked into the living room to see a new BMX bike.

"It's a Redline Flight Micro, Dad! Just like Drew's Flight Pro, isn't it cool?"

"It's really cool, Bub," Booth agreed, as Rebecca and Drew walked in to the living room.

"It's got Sun Assault SL-1 rims with Redline Flight sealed bearing cassette hubs and stainless steel spokes!"

Booth listened as his son went on about the bike's specs, he might as well have been speaking Chinese for all Booth knew about racing bikes. That was Drew's thing. Booth was glad that his son was happy, and it _was_ a really cool bike. He was happy that Parker had something he could share with his stepfather, but he was a little taken about by the magnitude of the gift. This is definitely something Rebecca normally would have told him about.

"Can we bring it with us, Dad?"

"I don't know, Parks," Boot answered, hesitating. He turned his attention to Rebecca when she placed her hand on his arm and Drew walked over to look over the bike with Parker.

"Sorry," Rebecca said quietly. "I would have told you if I'd known. Drew kind of sprung it on me, too…" She paused, but before Booth could protest, she went on. "I've already talked to him about it. You can take it with you if you want, you don't have to. I've wrapped his other gift and packed it with his gifts for you and Temperance so he can open it after he opens yours."

"Thanks, Bec."

They looked up as Parker and Drew approached.

"I think I'll leave it here," Parker said. "I mean, it is winter and I don't really have any place to ride at your place…"

"Yeah," Booth said, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. "About that…"

"Hate to rush you guys," Rebecca interrupted, thinking that maybe she and Drew shouldn't be around for this discussion. "But Drew and I have to get to the airport. Our flight to Vail is in three hours."

"Right," Booth said, shooting her a look of thanks for the reprieve. "Let's get your stuff, Parks."

They loaded Parker's bags for the week and a huge box full of wrapped gifts into the back of the SUV.

"Good grief," Booth said, "What is all this stuff?"

"Christmas presents, Dad," Parker answered. "I got presents for you and Bones, for Dr. Hodgins and Angela, and Max… and there's another present for me from Mom in there, but she said I can't open it 'til I open my presents at your house…"

"Go say goodbye to your mom and Drew," Booth instructed. "I'm starving. I thought we'd hit the diner before we head home."

"Awesome! Can I get a milkshake?"

"We'll see," Booth answered, shaking his head with a smile.

**BnBnBnB**

"Dad," Parker asked with a mouth full of cheeseburger. "Are we going to your house or to Bones'?"

"That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about," his father answered. "How would you feel if I said Bones' house _is_ my house?"

"Really?"

Parker's eyes lit up as he realized the implications of what his father was saying.

"Yep," Booth answered with a nod. "I moved the rest of our stuff in to her place this week…"

"So, from now on, we don't have to split our time? We'll always be with Bones?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Booth answered warily. "I mean, we'll get to do guy stuff by ourselves, but she'll be around most of the time."

"And all my stuff from your apartment is in my room at hers?"

"Mmm-hmm, almost everything. I didn't bring your bed, 'cause I thought you liked the one at Bones' and she bought you some new stuff, too."

"Can I bring some stuff from Mom's the next time I come over?"

"Sure, buddy. It's your room, you can do pretty much what you want. We have to be respectful of Bones' space, but she really wants us to both be at home there."

"Did you bring the big TV and the Wii?"

"Of course!"

"That is _so_ cool!" Parker answered, pumping his fist in the air. "This is the best Christmas ever, Dad!"

Booth leaned back in his chair, relaxing for the first time that morning. He should have known that Parker would be pumped about living with Bones. Parker was his kid after all, and he loved her almost as much as his dad did.

"Well, let's finish up here and get moving, then," Booth said with a laugh. "Bones is waiting for us at home."

"Dad," Parker said in earnest. He raised his eyebrows as he went on, "A wise man once told me that it's bad form to keep a lady waiting."

**BnBnBnB**

"Honey, we're home!" Booth called out as he and Parker walked in to the apartment. He set down the box full of Christmas gifts and Parker stood beside him with his duffel bag on his shoulder.

"_Honey_?" Brennan asked, walking around the corner from the hallway.

"Nevermind," Booth said, laughing gently as he leaned in to kiss her 'hello.'

"How'd it go?" she whispered.

"Great," he answered, smiling. "Why don't we get this stuff to your room, Parks?"

"Cool!"

"Bones?" Booth said, holding out his hand for her to precede them. "Lead the way."

"He knows the way to his room, Booth," she said as Parker tore around them and dashed off to his room.

"I know, babe," Booth said quietly into her ear. "But this is a big deal for both of you. He's excited to see what you did."

The couple arrived at the door to find the boy sitting on his bed and taking in the rest of the room.

"Do you like it?" she asked tentatively.

"It's awesome, Bones!" Parker replied. "You're the best!" He jumped up from the bed and ran over to the doorway, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her tightly. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Parker," she said, returning his embrace. "I just really want you to be happy here. If there's anything you want to change, or add, or whatever… it's okay."

Booth leaned against the door jamb and smiled, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. He wondered if he'd ever get used to the sight of seeing the woman he loved and his son together. This was his family, and he couldn't be more proud. Parker was great kid, and he was growing in to a fine young man. Bones was had always been a great influence on Parker, and Booth was sure that she would be a huge help to him as his son made his way through his upcoming teenage years. He watched as Parker walked around the room, picking things up and putting them back on the shelves.

He loved the pictures that Bones and Angela had chosen to display and he was thrilled that several of the cubbies on his wall unit were filled with his trophies from Booth's apartment. He walked over and ran his hand along the desk and looked up at his dad and Bones.

"This is really great, guys," Parker said. "I love it. It's cool, and not babyish like my room at Mom's."

"Put your stuff away," Booth said. "I'll take your gifts into the living room and you can put them under the tree when you're finished in here."

"Yes, sir," Parker answered politely as the adults slipped out of the room. "Then can I play Mario Kart?" he called out to them

"We'll see," Booth called back as they walked down the hall.

Brennan moved to the dining room table and picked up the list she'd written that morning while Booth carried the box full of Parker's gifts into the living room. He walked back over to the dining area and stood behind his partner. He rested his hand on her shoulder as he leaned over to see what she was reading.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just checking my list," she said. "I've got some grocery shopping to do still for Sunday's dinner. And I'm worried that we won't have enough seating…"

"Bones, it's gonna be a great Christmas. Stop worrying."

"I'm not worried," she insisted. "But even with only Angela and Hodgins coming from the lab, we still have two more people than we had the last time we did this."

"It's not a problem," he said, moving around to sit next to her. "Three of the new people at this dinner are little people," he said, taking her hand. "And you, not having been an attendee to many big family dinners may not be aware of another common tradition… the kids' table. We'll just set up a card table in the living room. Parker, Hayley and Emma can sit there. That will actually leave us with an available seat at this table. See? No worries."

They sat quietly for a few moments while she continued to go over her list.

"Drew got Parker a new racing bike," he said.

She looked over at him, trying to read his expression.

"That's a nice gift," she said without emotion.

"Yeah," he said, not looking up. "It is. And Parker really loves it."

"Does that bother you?"

"No," he said. "I mean… it's a great bike, and Parker loves it. Drew rides, and it's something they can do together…"

"Does _that_ bother you?"

"Kinda," he admitted. "Is that wrong?"

"A wise man once told me that your feelings are never wrong," she said, reaching over to take his hand. "You're entitled to your feelings, Booth."

"At my son's expense?"

"How is it at your son's expense?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "Did you tell him he couldn't have it? Or that you didn't want him to ride it? Or that he shouldn't ride with Drew?"

"Of course not," he answered.

"Of course not," she replied, smiling. "You're a good father, Booth. It's unfortunate that Parker can't be with you all the time, but you've told me yourself that you think part of the reason that he's such a well-rounded child is that he has so many people loving him and sharing their interests with him."

"When did you get to be so wise?" he asked, leaning in to kiss her.

"I think you might be rubbing off on me," she answered with a smile.

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, his cell phone rang. Looking down at the Caller ID and realizing that he'd have to take the call, he looked at her.

"Hold that thought," he said with a wink, before turning his attention to the phone. "Booth," he said into the phone as she watched him disappear down the hall and into the bedroom. She walked out into the living room where Parker was looking at the video games on the shelf.

"Did you want to play one?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Will you play with me?"

"Sure," she answered. "I'm not very good, though. Your dad keeps trying to get me to play, but I usually just watch him do it."

"Come on," Parker said. "It's fun!"

He went to the cabinet that he knew his dad kept the game console and controllers in. He took out two controllers and then went back to the shelf, taking out the Wii Sports disc.

"This one is the one that comes with the game," he said, putting the disc in the game console. "It's the easiest when you're learning what to do. We'll play bowling," he said. "It's just like when Dad took us to the bowling alley, you'll do great."

He turned on the television and the game and made sure that this father's girlfriend knew how to use the controller. He set up the game, and laughed when he saw the Mii that his dad had created for Bones. It looked just like her at the lab, down to the ponytail and outfit the same blue as her lab coat.

"I'll go first," he said. "Just watch and do what I do."

She watched as he stood in front of the television, his stance the same as the one Booth adopted at the bowling alley. He took three steps forward and raised his hand as if he were throwing the ball. They watched as the animated ball rolled down the alley just to the right of the center pin. The ball hit the pins with a loud crashing sound, and one by one they all went down.

"Strike!" Parker shouted as he spun around pumping his fist in the air.

Brennan laughed, congratulating him with the fist bump that Booth had been teaching her.

"Your turn, Bones," Parker said.

The game passed without incident, both of them doing very well. Putting together her knowledge of kinesiology with the virtual reality of the game, Brennan began to master it pretty quickly.

The two were laughing over Parker's Mii throwing the ball back into the assembled crowd when Booth walked out from the hallway. He didn't look up as he started to speak.

"Babe, that was Hanson. I'm gonna have to go into the office for a little bit," he said, finally looking up to see the two people he loved most in the world recovering from laughter as Parker stepped up to throw the first ball of the tenth frame.

"Booth, you're on vacation."

"Says the woman who doesn't know the meaning of the word," he said, smiling as he took her hand and pulled her away from Parker and the TV. "It shouldn't take too long," he said. "But Hanson's having trouble with one of my cases, and I really need to make sure this thing gets closed before I hand the reins of the department over to Hanson. I've gotta make sure he can handle it."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes, and instead let out a longsuffering sigh. She assumed this is how he felt about her long hours in the lab.

"Will you two be all right for a while?" he asked.

"We'll be fine," she said with more confidence than she felt.

"Hey bub," he said to his son. "Be good for Bones. I've got to go to work for a little bit."

"Okay, Dad," he said, not looking up from his video game. "See ya."

"He's occupied," he said, "he'll be easy."

"We'll be fine," she repeated. "Just don't be too long, okay?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he told her. "Come here." He met her halfway as they both stepped in for a long, warm and loving goodbye kiss.


	4. Close Call

**A/N- Sorry it's taken so long… not sure it's worth the wait, but here's some more fluffy stuff from the Brennan-Booth household. I will make sure the updates come in a more timely fashion. You know what to do….love those reviews! **

Chapter 4

Booth sat in what would soon no longer be his office. His belongings had been packed and were sitting by the door. Someone would move them upstairs as soon as Hacker completely vacated his new office.

He reflected on his time in this office. He'd been so proud when he made SA and moved out of the bullpen.

It was just outside this office that he'd first heard of Dr. Temperance Brennan. He smiled at the thought of Cam suggesting that he ask for her assistance. Little did any of them know then just how far they would come together. It was the Gemma Arrington case that put him on the fast track with the Bureau.

He smiled ruefully when he realized that it was largely because of Bones that he'd gotten noticed, was offered promotions and it was because of her that he'd turned them all down, up until now.

As much as he loved field work, he'd loved working with Temperance more. But it was time to move on, for both of them. He wasn't getting any younger and he knew if he turned down many more promotions, eventually they'd stop offering them. And with the Maluku project still fresh in her mind, he knew that Bones was relishing the idea of stepping back from investigating murders and getting back to her pure science.

"Find anything, Chief?" Hanson said, sticking his head into the office.

"No," Booth answered, closing the file in front of him. "Have Charlie run the financials again. There has to be something we missed."

"Will do," the agent answered.

Hanson was a good agent, and Booth knew he could handle the department. He was sure he could handle this case. Sure, they'd run into a couple of roadblocks, but it wasn't anything that required Hanson calling in the big guns on the day before Christmas Eve.

"Then grab a cup of coffee and come back here," Booth said.

"Sure thing, Chief," Hanson replied. "You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good."

He leaned back in his chair and waited for Hanson to return. He motioned for Hanson to take the chair across from his desk and sat silently for a few moments after the agent sat down. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and looked the other man in the eye.

"What's going on Steve?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Hanson replied.

"I mean," Booth answered. "You didn't need me here today. You could've handled this by yourself. What's going on?"

"I don't know, sir," Hanson said.

"_Sir_? Really? Hanson, we've worked together, what five years now? Side by side. Just 'cause I'm moving into the big office doesn't mean I expect you to call me 'sir.' At least not yet," he added with a smile.

"Taking over the department is a big thing," Hanson said. "You're leaving pretty big shoes to fill, Chief."

"You think you're not up for the job?"

"No," he said. "I do. It's just a little daunting."

"I don't know why you think so," Booth said, sincerely. "You did the job for a year when I was gone."

"But that was different," Hanson said.

"How?"

"You were coming back. It was kind of like keeping your seat warm…"

"But you did a fantastic job," Booth told him. "And I'm not the only one who thinks so. It wasn't me who suggested you for the job, although I would have if given the chance. When I asked, Cullen had already decided to offer it to you."

Hanson simply nodded in silent recognition.

"You can do it," Booth said. "But you have to believe it. If you show any doubts, they're gonna eat you for breakfast."

"No pressure there," Hanson replied, smiling. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Booth answered. "Seriously, you wouldn't be here unless a lot of people knew you were the right man for the job, but if you don't know it then it's not going to work. C'mon, let's go. It's Christmas weekend and my family is at home. I'm sure you've got someone waiting for you, too."

**BnBnBnB**

Booth arrived home to a quiet apartment.

"Bones!" he called out. "Parker!"

He wondered where they had gotten off to. Thinking back, he realized that he hadn't seen Bones' car in the parking lot. He had just pulled out his cell phone to call her when he saw a note on the kitchen island.

_Booth-_

_Parker and I have gone to do the grocery shopping. Hope everything went well with the case. See you soon._

_Love, Bones_

He smiled and put the note back down on the table as he walked over to the refrigerator to grab a soda. He took a bag of sea salt flavored pita chips—living with Bones was going to wreak havoc on his eating habits—and sat down in his recliner. He flipped on ESPN and sat down to watch the week's highlights.

**BnBnBnB**

"That was really cool, Bones," Parker said as he followed her into the apartment. "That guy almost nailed us, but you were too quick."

"Shh," Brennan signaled the boy by putting her index finger to her lips. She nodded toward the recliner where Booth was sleeping soundly, and Parker followed her into the kitchen. "I'll put these away," she said, hoping to change the subject. The last thing she needed was for Booth to wake up to his son enthusing over their near miss on the icy street. "Why don't you take the movies we got and put them in by the television?"

"Okay," Parker answered.

"Try not to wake up your father," she told him. "We'll let him sleep until dinner is ready."

Parker took the bag full of Christmas movies and carried them into the living room. He went into his room and grabbed a book off the shelf before stretching out on the bed.

Brennan put the groceries away and then set out the things she'd need to make dinner. She went into the living room and turned off the television, carefully watching to see if Booth woke up. When she was sure he was still sleeping, she went over to the stereo and turned it on with the volume on low. Soon, the sounds of Christmas songs filled the apartment.

She set about chopping vegetables and putting them on to cook, and then quartered the fresh loaf of sourdough bread she and Parker had picked up at the bakery. While the ingredients were cooking, she set the table. Soon, everything was put together, dinner was in the oven and she walked out into the living room.

She smiled as she looked down at Booth sleeping in his recliner. He looked so right there, in her living room. She walked down the hall to check on Parker and found that he'd fallen asleep as well. She walked into his room and took the book from where it rested on his chest, marked the page and closed it, leaving it set on his nightstand.

She decided to use the remaining time while her dinner was cooking and her boys were sleeping to work on her manuscript. Before long, she'd finished her latest chapter and the buzzer was going off in the kitchen. She saved her document and went out to the kitchen.

She turned off the timer and opened the oven. She took out the covered dish and put the bread in to warm. As she closed the oven door, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Mmm, something smells good," Booth said into her ear, his voice rough with sleep.

"I think you'll like it," Brennan answered, leaning back into his embrace. She closed her eyes as he softly kissed the side of her neck.

"I already do," he said. "Who said I was talking about the food?"

She laughed as she turned around to face him, never leaving the security of his embrace. She placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"How did it go at the office?" she asked.

"Fine," he said. "Hanson's a little nervous about the promotion. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to hold his hand for a while. He kissed her again.

"Is that a good idea? I would think that it takes a lot of strength and confidence," she paused, smiling up at him as she tapped on his 'cocky' belt buckle, "to properly do the job."

He smiled at her insinuation and winked as he answered, "It does, but Hanson's got it. He did a great job last year while I was gone. He'll do fine. How was your day?"

"It was nice," she answered. "Parker and I played the video game for a little while longer after you left, and then we went out to run errands. I finished the shopping for Sunday and we picked up a few movies to add to your collection."

"You and Parker picked out movies?" he asked. "Together?"

"They are Christmas films," she answered. "I thought maybe we could start a new tradition of watching them together."

"I love that idea, baby," he said.

"As much as I'm enjoying this," she said, squeezing him around the waist to emphasize her point, "dinner is ready. You want to go wake Parker?"

"In a minute," he answered. He leaned down to cover her lips with hers and gave her the long, passionate 'hello, how was your day?' kiss he'd been waiting to give her since he woke up.

After rousting his son from his nap and both of them going to wash up, the Booth boys made their way to the dining table. Brennan was serving food on to their plates as they sat down. She sat quietly and Parker folded his hands and bowed his head as Booth said a blessing.

"Looks great, Bones!" Parker said, sitting down.

"Shepherd's pie?" Booth looked over at his partner quizzically and she nodded as she sat down.

"I love shepherd's pie," Parker said.

"So does your father," Brennan answered.

"Thanks, babe," Booth said with a smile, digging in to his meal. "This is great. But what are you gonna…"

The question fell from his lips as he watched her take a bite of the shepherd's pie.

"…eat?"

She raised her eyebrows and smiled as he realized she was eating the same thing as he and Parker.

"There's no meat in this?" he asked.

Her smile grew wider as she shook her head.

"What it is it?" Booth asked warily.

"Lentils," she answered. "You like them."

"This is really good, Bones," Parker said, seemingly oblivious to the conversation at the table. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Parker," she answered. "I'm glad you like it."

"I do, too," Booth said. "It's really good."

They enjoyed their meals over lively conversation, mostly about their day, until the moment Brennan had been dreading…but had forgotten about.

"Dad, Bones is an awesome driver!" Parker said enthusiastically. "We almost got _killed_, and she saved us with her lightening fast reflexes!"

"It wasn't that exciting," she said, giving Parker a scolding look. "I think you've been reading too many of those _graphic novels_ that your father likes."

She knew Booth wasn't going to let it go at that, and her thought was confirmed by the raised eyebrow and the look he fixed on her as he dropped his fork on his plate.

"We were on our way home," she said with a sigh. "We were sitting at the intersection at Oak Street, and as I began to proceed through the stop sign, an oncoming car slid into the intersection…"

"It was so cool, Dad! She swerved and banked like those guys in _Tokyo Drift_!"

"It really _wasn't_ that exciting," Brennan answered calmly. "I was able to maneuver out of his trajectory and avoid a collision."

"Are you guys both okay?" Booth asked.

"We're fine," she answered. "I told you, I avoided the collision."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I would have," she answered quietly. "Later. We haven't actually had much of a chance for conversation since we got home."

**BnBnBnB**

Later that evening, Parker was sleeping soundly in his room and Booth and Brennan were cuddled closely in their bed.

"I love this," Booth said softly as he traced circles on her arm.

"What?" she asked.

"This," he repeated. "Being here. Home. Having my family under one roof. It's nice."

"It is," she agreed, snuggling closer against him,

They lay quietly for a few minutes, no words needing to be said. After a while, it was Booth who broke the silence.

"Were you really going to tell me about the accident?"

"There was no accident, Booth," she answered, stretching to look up at him. "But yes, I was going to tell you."

"It must have been scary," he said, frightening himself with images of what could have happened to the two most important people in his life.

"It was," she admitted, "but only because I was afraid for what could happen to Parker. I don't think it would have affected me as much if I'd been alone. It just made me realize that having him in my life is a big responsibility."

"Welcome to parenthood, Bones," he said with a soft kiss to her temple. "Are you ready for it?"

"But I'm not…"

"Yes, you are," he said. "You're my partner, not just at work but in life… in everything, and that includes Parker. I expect him to respect you just as he does me, or his mother, or Drew. You are an authority figure in his life, and when he's with us I expect that he listens to you just like he does me. Just like everything else, baby, we're in this together. Are you okay with that?"

She nodded, pausing to force the words around the lump in her throat.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly. "He's your son. I don't want to overstep my boundaries…"

"Yes, he's my son," he answered tenderly as he pulled her to him. "And ultimately Rebecca and I make the big decisions, but since she married Drew he's been a big part of those decisions and he and Rebecca decide the rules in their house just like you and I decide the rules for our house."

_Our house_, she thought. _I love the sound of that_.

There weren't words to express what she was feeling, so she reached up and kissed him. It was a long and loving kiss, full of the emotions that were threatening to overflow from both of them.


	5. Ice Cold

**A/N - Here's the next bit… THANK YOU so much to those who take the time to review. I'm a little concerned about how this one's being received, but there are a quite a few favorites and alerts, so I guess I should stop worrying. :-) I know this probably seems like "fluff overload" for some, but I didn't really envision it with a major plot, but more as a look at scenes of how they might spend the week of Christmas and what it means to be a family. I think I'm achieving that goal, but it would mean a lot if you would let me know. **

Chapter 5 – Ice Cold

When Booth woke in the morning, he stretched and reached for the beautiful woman beside him, but instead of warm flesh, he only ended up with a handful of cold sheet.

He rolled over and looked at the clock. It was still early, and he didn't want to get out of bed. He knew Parker could still be asleep for hours and he wanted nothing more than to spend a leisurely morning in bed with the love of his life. But of course, it couldn't be that easy. He threw back the covers, pulled on the pair of pajama pants and t-shirt that he'd discarded the night before, and padded out toward the kitchen.

The first thing he noticed was the warm smell of coffee and cinnamon, and then he heard the quiet rat-a-tat-tat of her fingers flying across the keyboard.

When he finally reached the kitchen, he stopped to lean in the door jamb and watch her. She was always beautiful, but there was just something about that sleep-tousled look first thing in the morning that did crazy things for him. That, coupled with the intensity that took over her whole body when she was writing, and he was a total goner. He could have stood there and watched her for hours.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?" she asked, without looking up.

"Sorry," he said with a smile, as she finally looked up to meet his eyes. "I hate waking up without you," he admitted.

She knew the feeling.

"Me, too," she said as he walked into the kitchen. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't sleep. So, I thought I'd try to get as much writing in as I could before you and Parker got up. I really want the next few days to be just about Parker," she said. "About us…the holiday… but my publisher is expecting a completed manuscript at the end of January and I'm not close to finished."

"Sounded like you were on a roll when I came down the hall," he said, leaning over her shoulder for a good morning kiss. "Don't let me distract you," he said as he walked over to the coffee pot.

"Like I could stop that from happening," she muttered under her breath.

He smiled and pretended not to hear.

"What smells so good?" he asked.

"My grandmother's coffee cake," she answered. "Mom always made it for us on Christmas, but I thought I'd make it today since you and Parker probably have your own traditions for Christmas morning."

"Gingerbread pancakes," he said with a nod. "But this cake smells awesome and I'm sure we're gonna love it."

"It is really good," she said. "I haven't made it in years, but the recipe came right to me."

He loved that she was opening up and sharing so much of her childhood with him. They often got so wrapped up in her parents' abandonment that he forgot she actually had her family for the first fifteen years of her life. She didn't really miss out on her childhood, and she probably had lots more family traditions and memories to share.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and refilled her cup. He leaned over her shoulder as he set her cup down, and went in for another kiss.

"I'll go see if the paper's here yet," he said. "You can get back to your writing."

He turned to walk out to the front door. Before he got completely out of the kitchen, he stopped and turned back to her.

"I love you," he said.

The warm smile that spread across her face could've lit up the room.

"I love you, too," she said in reply.

**BnBnBnB**

"He's really good," Brennan noted as Parker zoomed past them.

Booth nodded, smiling with pride as his son easily zipped around the rink. Parker never once interfered with any of the other skaters as he bobbed and weaved around them.

"Probably because he's been playing hockey ever since he could stand on skates," he said.

"You can go with him if you want," she said.

"No, I'm happy right where I am," he answered, looking down at their linked hands as they leisurely made their way around the rink.

"Come on, guys," Parker called as he came up behind them and sped past. "You're too slow."

"I'm doing just fine, Park-O," his father said. "Just wait 'til you get a girl."

"No way," Parker answered and took off.

"This was a good idea, babe," Booth said when his son was well across the ice.

After breakfast, the boys were stumped for what to do the rest of the day. Of course, they weren't aware that Brennan had spent a great deal of time thinking about things that they could do together that might one day become tradition for the three of them. Booth and Parker were both excited when she suggested they go down to the Mall and try out the Sculpture Garden Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art.

The trio spent an enjoyable morning on the ice and then headed to the diner for lunch and to warm up. They sat at their usual table and a waitress headed over with a coffee pot and a cup of hot chocolate.

"Merry Christmas," she said. "You look cold."

"Merry Christmas, Kay," Brennan replied. "We've been skating at the National Mall."

"Sounds like fun," the woman answered. "Let's get you warmed up. You here for lunch?"

"Yep," Parker replied. "And I'm starved."

"You're always starved," Booth said, smiling as Kay poured the coffee.

"Growth spurt," Parker said. "What can I say?" He grinned at himself as he picked up his hot chocolate.

Brennan noticed, and thought he was getting more and more like his father every day. He was adorable, and wielded his charm like a sword. Good luck to anyone who got in his way. She thought about what it was going to be like when he stopped thinking girls were gross. Smiling, she reached over to take Booth's hand as she realized she'd been thinking of a long-term future with Booth and Parker… and it didn't frighten her a bit.

It wasn't long before they'd finished their lunches and were just sitting back and enjoying one another's company.

"Skating was really cool," Parker said. "Thanks for taking me."

"You're welcome, Parker," Brennan answered. "I'm glad you had a good time."

Booth draped his arm across Brennan's shoulder and pulled her close as they talked to Parker, sipping his hot chocolate across from her.

"Now that we've eaten and are sufficiently warmed up," she said. "I've got a surprise for you two."

**BnBnBnB**

As soon as they'd climbed in to the SUV and Brennan gave Booth the directions, he was pretty sure he knew where they were going.

They had talked about going to see the "ICE!" exhibit at the Gaylord National resort. He wanted to see it and he knew Parker would love it. He had his confirmation twenty minutes later when they pulled up to the grand structure.

"This is the place where they have the ice on TV!" Parker exclaimed.

"That's right," Brennan said with a relieved smile. "How would you like to see the ICE! exhibit?"

"This is so awesome," Parker said.

They all got out of the SUV and Brennan led the boys to the back of the vehicle where she'd packed extra hats, scarves and gloves.

"Baby, we don't need all this," Booth whined. "We're already dressed for skating."

"Yes, we are," she answered. "Dressed for skating in temperatures between twenty and thirty degrees Fahrenheit. They keep the exhibit at nine degrees, and we're going to be going through sculptures made of over two million pounds of ice. Humor me," she said dryly, handing him his scarf.

"Yes, mother," he mumbled, taking the scarf.

"What was that?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Nothing," Booth answered as Parker laughed.

"This is gonna be cool," Parker said. "I can't wait to try the ice slide!"

Soon they were bundled up and standing with the other families waiting their turn to enter the exhibit. Parker was busily chatting with another boy he knew from school.

"Thank you," Booth said quietly into his partner's ear as he pulled her close. It shouldn't surprise him by now, but he was always touched when she went out of her way to do something for him or for Parker.

"You're welcome," she answered as he placed a soft kiss against her temple.

**BnBnBnB**

When they walked into the apartment, Booth went into action plan mode.

"Parker," he said. "You need to take a nap…"

"But Dad…"

"I know you're too old for naps," his father answered. "But it's been a long a day already and it's going to be an even longer night. I don't want you falling asleep in church. Go lay down for a little while before dinner."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Brennan said with a yawn. "Mind if I lay down for a little while myself?"

"Not at all," Booth answered, with a quick kiss to her lips.

"You two go rest, and I'll handle dinner."

He watched as the two of them moved down the hallway with their heads together and thought, not for the first time, just how lucky he was. He had a kid with a great attitude who was really good at rolling with the punches in life, and he was in love with the most amazing woman he'd ever had the pleasure to meet. And the coolest thing of all was that they got along…they really seemed to love each other.

He went in to the kitchen and took out the tomatoes and the sauce maker. That was one of his more ingenious purchases and one of the few things Bones brought from his kitchen. It saved a lot of time when making homemade sauce. He remembered her laughing when she found it. She was surprised to learn that he was actually a good cook.

His great-grandmother's rigatoni was a Christmas Eve tradition. As he set about making the sauce, he wondered if Bones even knew that he was Italian on his mother's side. They knew each other so well, but there were still so many things to learn.

**BnBnBnB**

After dinner, the three of them settled in to watch _It's a Wonderful Life_.

"Dad, it's black and white," Parker whined.

"Just chill, bub," Booth said. "It's a classic. You're gonna love it."

By about halfway through the movie, Parker was sitting cross-legged on the floor completely enthralled. Booth pulled Brennan close and they snuggled up together, sighing in contentment as another angel got its wings. She leaned in to him as he leaned in to the couch and they watched the rest of the movie.

"As good as I remembered," Booth said, aiming the remote to turn off the television.

"It's always been one of my favorites," Brennan added. "What did you think, Parker?"

"I really liked it, even if it wasn't in color," Parker said. "Kinda makes you think about all the stuff in your life, huh?"

"It sure does, buddy," Booth said.

"I'm glad we're here, Dad," Parker said. "This is the best Christmas. Bones, thanks for letting us move in."

"You're welcome, Parker," Brennan answered, her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "I'm really glad you're here, too."

"Time to go get ready for church, Parks," Booth said, jumping in. "We've got to be ready to get you into bed as soon as we get home so Santa knows you're asleep and it's okay to leave your presents."

Parker rolled his eyes, and decided it was probably time.

"Dad," he said. "I know there's no Santa."

"What?" Booth replied. He was so not ready for his little boy to grow up.

"I'm eleven," Parker replied. "I've known for a long time."

"Why didn't you say anything?" his father asked.

"It seemed so important to you and Mom, I thought I should just let it go."

Booth shook his head with tears in his eyes, thinking once again how lucky he was to have such a great kid.

"When did you get to be so smart?" Booth asked.

"I think I was born that way," Parker said with a smile.

"Come on," Booth said, ruffling his hair. "Let's get ready for church. You coming, Bones?" he asked. "It's up to you."

"I think I'd like that," she said.

"I'd like it, too," he said, pulling her to him. "But Midnight Mass is a solemn, sovereign service. Promise me you won't ask a bunch of questions or contradict the priest or anything."

"I'll be on my best behavior," she said with a smile.


	6. Bobbles and Babies

**AN- Once again, I'm not sure I love this chapter… drop me a line and let me know what you think. :-) **

Chapter 6 – Bobbles and Babies

"Look at you, Suzy Homemaker," Angela said, walking in to the kitchen sipping a glass of wine.

Brennan glared at her from her place at the stove, not even bothering with an "I don't know what that means."

She was putting the finishing touches on dinner while her guests milled about the rest of the apartment. Booth was holding court in the living room, laughing and talking with her dad, Russ, Amy and Hodgins. Parker and the girls were in his room, checking out all his Christmas treasures. They were still waiting for the rest of the Booths to arrive, as Jared and Padme had gone to pick up Hank at the retirement center.

"I'm serious," Angela prodded. "It looks good on you. Are you all right?"

"Of course I am, Angela," she answered. "I'm fine. What are you talking about?"

"Are you really okay with all of this?" her friend asked. "I mean, I know it was your idea to have Booth and Parker move in… and I know you were excited about it. But you were also nervous about it. You're usually working on Christmas and now here you are hosting a _family_ dinner."

"I'm great, Ange," Brennan answered. "I'm still me. I still love my work. But I also love having a family. It's nice."

"And Booth, in there with your family," Angela went on. "It's like he's been doing that forever."

"That's Booth," Brennan said with a smile. "Can you hand me that spoon?" She pointed to a large slotted spoon resting next to the sink, and reached out for her friend to hand it to her. "Thank you. My dad and Booth have always gotten along, for the most part. I think they have a sort of grudging respect for each other..."

"Bones, were starving!" Parker said, as he and the girls entered the kitchen. "When are we gonna eat dinner?"

"As soon as Uncle Jared and Aunt Padme get here with your Pops," Brennan answered without missing a beat. "There are some cheese and crackers and fruit in the living room," she said. "Have a little of that."

"Cool!" Parker replied.

"Don't spoil your dinner," Brennan said without looking up from the stove as the kids made their way out of the kitchen.

Angela shook her head.

"I still can't believe how good you are with him," she said. "I'd be a wreck."

"It's easy," Brennan answered, setting down her spoon and turning to her friend. She picked up her own glass of wine and nodded toward the table. When they were both seated, Brennan went on. "He's easy. He's a very intelligent and well-behaved child."

"Of course he is," Angela said.

"But even so, Brennan replied, "I'm constantly surprised by the things he says…"

"Out of the mouths of babes," Angela said, interrupting.

"Take this morning," Brennan said, smiling as she told her friend about how her morning had progressed.

"When we got back from church last night, or I suppose I should say this morning, we all decided that we were tired and would sleep in… since Parker had already informed us that he no longer believed in Santa Claus, it made sense that there would be no big rush to get up and get to his gifts…"

Angela's head was spinning.

"Wait, wait, wait," she said. "I don't know what to tackle first; Parker doesn't believe in Santa or you went to church? Well, I guess that even though I see him as our baby Booth, he is eleven… so it makes sense. What's this about you going to church?"

Brennan let out an exaggerated sigh. She knew she shouldn't be surprised that her friend would make a big deal about the situation.

"Angela, while Cultural Anthropology wasn't my main field of study, I _am_ an anthropologist. Though I may not subscribe to them personally, I do understand the mores and rites associated with organized religions. Booth's religion is extremely important to him. In my role as the person sharing his life, I realize that I have to attempt to understand those things that are important to him even if I don't believe in them myself. I can see the significance of the Mass for the cultural ritual that it is. By attending the services, I get more insight into the man I love while doing something that means very much to him."

"I get it," Angela said. "It's a win-win. I'm proud of you, sweetie."

"Thanks, Ange."

"Now, let's get back to _Kids Say the Darnedest Things_," Angela said, bringing her glass to her lips. "What did Parker say this morning?"

"He asked if I was pregnant."

"WHAT?"

In a moment reminiscent of the screwball comedies of the thirties, Angela sprayed a mouthful of red wine across the kitchen table.

_Parker sat on the floor in front of the Christmas tree amongst a pile of torn paper and presents. Booth and Brennan sat wrapped in each other's arms, watching him with wide matching smiles on both of their faces. _

"_This is awesome, you guys," Parker enthused. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome, bub," his dad answered. "I gotta tell you, it was Bones' idea. She had to talk me into it."_

"_Thanks, Bones! This has been the best Christmas," Parker said, looking around at his pile of gifts. He got a laptop, some Wii and DS games, some books and movies. He got a bike and a printer from his mom and Drew. "Can I ask a question?"_

"_Of course, Parker," Brennan replied._

"_Are you guys having a baby?"_

"_What?" Booth's jaw dropped to the ground. He practically jumped off the couch, dropping Brennan on her butt._

"_Or is it Mom?" Parker asked._

"_Why would you think that, Parker?" Brennan asked, calmly._

"_My friend Joey's got two little sisters," he answered. "He said he got the best presents when his mom was gonna have a baby."_

"_Well, I can't speak for your mother," Brennan answered, looking over at a still speechless Booth, "but I am not having a baby."_

"Oh. My. God," Angela said, as she wiped down the table with the dish cloth. "How long did it take for Booth to pick his jaw up off the ground?"

"I know you're not being literal, so I won't tell you that Booth's jaw did not actually drop to the ground."

"Thank you for that," Angela said with a smile. "Now, what happened next?"

"_Bub, why don't you go take that stuff into your room while Bones and I pick this stuff up?"_

_Brennan watched as Parker walked out of the room, and then turned her attention back to Booth who was looking down at his feet._

"_Are you all right?" she asked, placing her hand on his arm._

"_I'm fine, Bones," he answered._

"_I don't understand what has you so upset," she said. "Using Parker's logic, it was actually a very valid question. And we have discussed having a child in the past."_

"_In the past," he repeated. "Bones, that was years ago."_

"_Are you saying you no longer wish to have a baby with me?"_

"_God, no," he said quickly._

"_Oh," she said quietly, standing. _

_He looked up as she turned to walk away._

"_Wait," Booth said. "Where are you going?"_

_She looked back at him and he noticed the tears threatening to fall._

"_I just want to go lie down for a bit," she said. "I'll need to begin working on dinner soon."_

"_Baby, what's wrong?" he asked._

"_Nothing, Booth," she answered, turning back away from him again._

_Then it hit him._

"_Oh my god, Bones. Wait. I meant, 'No, of course I didn't mean I don't want to have a baby with you.' Baby, look at me."_

_She turned around to look at him, no longer hiding the tears._

"_Temperance Brennan," he said, taking her hands in his. "I would love to have a baby with you. Whenever you're ready…say the word. But we're definitely doing it the old fashioned way this time."_

_He took her in his arms and leaned in to kiss her lips. If she hadn't been convinced by his words, that kiss would have told her everything she needed to know._

"So, you're gonna have a little mini-Booth?" Angela asked, barely containing the squeal that was threatening to erupt.

"We're going to talk about it," Brennan confirmed.

"I'm happy for you, Bren," Angela said, standing up from the table. "I think I'm going to go find my husband."

**BnBnBnB**

The doorbell rang as Brennan was walking from the kitchen to join the others in the living room. She stopped to open the door.

"Sorry we're late, sweetheart," Hank said, hugging her. "My grandson here doesn't take direction well."

Padme laughed as she followed her husband and his grandfather into the apartment.

"There was an accident on the Beltway," she said. "Hank told Jared to take an alternate route, but Jared decided to take his chances."

"Fat lot of good that did us, huh, Jarhead?" Hank groused.

"Come on in, you guys," Booth said, walking over to diffuse his grandfather's tirade. "I think you know everyone."

He reintroduced his family to Brennan's family and the Hodgins'. They'd all met at Booth's Fourth of July picnic and had seen each other at Parker's games over the summer.

**BnBnBnB**

"Bones and I would like to first thank you all for coming," Booth said, standing at the head of the table and holding up his glass. "I can't tell you how much it means to have our family here with us to celebrate the holiday…"

"Get on with it, Shrimp!" Hank called out. "We're hungry and we ain't getting any younger."

"You got that right, Hank," Max agreed.

"Let me help you out, Bro," Jared jumped in. "To family."

"To family," the others said, raising their glasses.

"Now can we eat?" Hank asked.

"Have at it, Pops," Booth answered with a slight laugh.

"This looks amazing, Temperance," Amy said.

"Thank you," Brennan answered.

"What is it?" Russ asked.

"Bones worked really hard on this menu," Booth said. "She's got a whole traditional vegetarian Christmas dinner, and the normal stuff, too."

"Vegetarian?" Jared asked warily.

"Try it, Uncle Jared," Parker called from the kids' table. "It sounds gross, but a lot of Bones' vegetable stuff is really good."

"Yum. I'm looking forward to it," Angela said.

"Tell me there's ham," Hodgins lamented.

"Of course there's ham," Max said, "honey glazed with an old Keenan family recipe."

"You made Gramma Lily's ham?" Russ asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes," Temperance answered. "The main dishes are Honey Glazed Ham and Mushroom Wellington."

"Sounds delicious, Temperance," Padme said. "I try to eat as little meat as possible, but I haven't gone completely meatless."

"Thank god," Jared said under his breath.

"Don't knock it 'til you try it, Jar," Booth said. "Parker's right, some of Bones' vegetarian stuff is really good. She actually made a Shepherd's Pie the other night with no meat in it, and it was awesome."

**BnBnBnB**

Late that night, Booth sat up against the headboard with Brennan snuggled up at his side.

"Parker's been saying it a lot," he said, "but this really is the best Christmas ever.

"I concur," she said, with a wry smile.

"You did an incredible job with dinner, Babe," he said, leaning in to kiss her temple.

"Do you think everyone had a good time?" she asked.

"Are you kidding?" he asked. "It was perfect. You never know what you're gonna get when this crew gets together. You gotta admit that getting your dad and Pops together is always entertaining."

"At least neither of them questioned your sexuality this time," she said, giggling.

"Funny, Bones. Really funny."

"I thought so."

"You know," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "With all the commotion today, I never got to give you my gift."

"I've got one for you, too," she said. "Let me go and get it."

He watched as she got up and walked over to their closet, and he leaned over to take a small box out of the drawer on his night stand.

She crawled back in to the bed and settled in to his embrace.

"Me first," he said, handing her the box.

She got nervous as he handed her a very small, square box. Her anxiety heightened as she removed the paper to reveal a velvet covered jewelry box. She looked him in the eye warily before flipping the box open.

"Go ahead," he said to her. "Open it. It's not going to bite you."

"Are you sure?" she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yep," he answered. "Perfectly safe."

She flipped open the box to reveal what she knew was going to be a ring, but she was surprised at what she saw.

"A claddagh?" she asked, looking down at the beautiful gold ring and then back to the man who'd given it to her.

He smiled, nodding and copying a habit of hers by biting his lower lip.

"You got me a claddagh?" she repeated.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

She smiled brightly and nodded her head.

"It's perfect," she said.

"I liked that it had cultural significance," he said. "And Keenan-slash-Brennan, either way your heritage is Irish…"

"Yes," she answered. "And the Claddagh definitely has a cultural significance… not only in ancient Irish culture, but in our society as well."

"You don't think it's a sign of ownership?" he asked, warily.

"Oh, it's most definitely a sign of ownership," she said. "But I can live with that. By wearing this ring, it symbolizes that I no longer own my own heart, metaphorically speaking. And that is a very true statement. I'd be proud to wear this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you." She took the ring out of its box and held out her left hand for him to put it on. He slid the ring on to her digitus annilarus with the heart facing away from her.

He couldn't contain his happiness as he leaned in to kiss her.

_We've come a long way, baby_, he thought, not for the first time.

"I love you," he said, "so much."

"I love you, too. Now, it's my turn," she said, handing him her gift.


	7. Hearts and Flyers

**AN- Couple of things about the Claddagh… I knew it was kind of bordering on cliché, but I kinda liked the idea. I figured I wasn't the first person to come up with it, LOL. But for the record, as much as I love DB now… I didn't watch "Buffy" or "Angel," and I didn't know the two characters shared a similar scene. **

**Thanks for all your encouragement, I don't know why it is that I've been a little insecure about this story, but I do love and I hope you do, too. And thanks again for your reviews! I can't tell you how far they go in making me want to write! :-) So, you know what to do… review!**

Chapter 7 – Hearts and Flyers

"Wait," Booth said, stopping Brennan as she reached for his gift.

"What?" she asked. "Don't you want to see what I got you?"

"Of course I do," he said, bringing her hands to his lips. "Forgive me for being a romantic," he said with a grin. "But I just put a ring on your finger, and I'd like to savor the moment for a few minutes."

She smiled and snuggled up closer to him, looking into his eyes as he spoke to her.

"To be honest, I expected more of a fight from you over it," he said, pausing as she gave him a quizzical glance. "You know, the whole 'sign of ownership' thing? How do you know so much about the Claddagh, anyway?"

She averted her eyes, only for a split second, but it wasn't fast enough that he didn't notice.

"I'm an anthropologist, Booth," she said. "The claddagh is a common symbol of friendship and fidelity, with longstanding ties in several cultures…"

"You're a forensic anthropologist," he reminded her. "You studied physical anthropology, not cultural anthropology… and you're a bad liar. What's going on, Bones?"

"I studied in all four fields of anthropology," she said, correcting him. "And what do you mean 'what's going on'?"

"I don't know," he answered. "But something's up. The easy acceptance of a ring that is clearly designed to tell the world you're no longer available… all the info about the claddagh…"

"I would think you'd be happy that I easily accepted your symbol of possession," she said, defensively. "And I don't know why you'd be surprised that I know something about the history of the claddagh. It is a commonly recognized symbol, it's not like one would have to do extensive research to obtain such knowledge.

It is actually the symbol of the Galway town of Claddagh, Ireland, and was first fashioned into the traditional ring back in the 17th Century during the reign of Mary II.

The legend states that an Irish young man, Richard Joyce, bound for the West Indian slave plantations was kidnapped himself by a band of Mediterranean pirates and sold to a Moorish goldsmith who over the many long years of his exile helped him perfect the skills of a master craftsman.

When in 1689 King William III negotiated the return of the slaves, Joyce returned to Galway - despite, it is said, the Moor's offer of the daughter's hand in marriage and a princely dowry of half of all his wealth.

Back in Ireland a young women had never stopped faithful waiting for her true love to return. Upon which time when he presented her with the now famous Royal Claddagh gold ring - a symbol of their enduring love. Two hands to represent their friendship, the crown to signify their loyalty and lasting fidelity, and the sign of the heart to symbolize their eternal love for each other.

It became the traditional Irish wedding band, and over the years has come to symbolize friendship and fidelity along with eternal love."

"Now, see there? That's what I'm talking about. That's a whole lotta knowledge to have right off the top of your head," Booth said. "I feel like I'm in bed with Nigel-Murray."

"I don't understand why you insist on being combative over a romantic gesture," she said, her irritation now obvious. "Would you prefer that I refuse to wear the ring?" she asked, reaching to take it off.

"No!" he exclaimed. He closed his hand around hers, effectively stopping her from removing the ring.

"Here," she said, handing in him the box that contained his gift. "Maybe this will satisfy your curiosity."

"Oh, baby," he said. "Don't be like that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, and of course I don't want to fight. Forgive me?"

He gave her what she had come to know as his puppy dog face, complete with amped-up charm smile. She was powerless to resist, even if she'd wanted to.

"Yes," she answered quietly, nodding.

"Do you want me to open my present now?" he asked.

Again, she nodded. She watched in quiet anticipation as he opened the box. She watched him closely as he took out what appeared to be a porcelain picture frame, adorned with a familiar symbol. Inside the frame was a photo of the two of them that Padme had taken at Jared's birthday party. It was one of her favorites… unlike the more formal portraits from the Jeffersonian's galas or the FBI banquets, this was a casual photo that she felt depicted their relationship so well. They were looking into each other's eyes as if no one else was around, and she knew exactly what she'd been feeling at that moment. It was the same thing she felt every time she looked into his eyes, and she hoped that she would continue to feel it for the next thirty, forty or fifty years.

"You got me a claddagh picture frame?" he asked with a chuckle.

"It's Belleek," she answered. "From Northern Ireland."

"It's beautiful," he said.

"I thought about getting you a ring," she said with a laugh.

"So you _did_ study the history of claddagh for this gift."

"I did," she answered. "But it is basically common knowledge."

"You researched for a romantic Christmas gift," he said, leaning in to kiss her. "That is _so_ hot."

He leaned in to kiss her and he went on to show her just how hot it he really thought it was.

**BnBnBnB**

"Morning," Brennan mumbled into Booth's chest.

"Morning," he replied, placing a kiss to the top of her head as she tightened her arms around his waist. "How'd you know I was awake?"

"Your breathing," she answered. "It's shallow and uneven."

"Who ever thought science could be so sexy?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You know," she said, scooting up to prop her chin on her hands still resting on his chest. "We never got a chance to finish last night…"

"Whoa," he said. "If I recall correctly, you had no problem _finishing_… twice."

"Three times," she replied, with the bending of her eyebrow and a sexy grin. "But that's not what I mean. You didn't get to see the rest of your Christmas present." She sat up and began to climb out of bed. "Come on."

"Wait," he said, holding her close. "It's early, and we haven't heard a peep from Parker. Let's just lay here and enjoy the quiet. I love these moments, late at night or first thing in the morning, when I can just lay back and relax with you in my arms."

Temperance Brennan had never considered herself a cuddler, and she'd never understood the allure of post-coital embrace. In fact, before Booth she could count on one hand the number of men with whom she'd spent the night. This was yet another thing that had changed dramatically since she'd decided to take a chance on that amazing unknown variable that was the undeniable "thing" between her and Seeley Booth. She couldn't imagine any place she'd rather be than wrapped up in his arms.

She'd read once that love changes people. She'd found the statement to be ridiculous. It was completely without merit, it was scientifically unsound and fully unquantifiable. The phenomenon that most people referred to as love was simply a chemical release… the mix of pheromones and endorphins that caused a chemical reaction. How could that change who a person was? It had never made sense to her before, but now she was beginning to understand.

She'd told Booth that she couldn't change… but then he reminded her of entropy and the fact that by the laws of nature, everything changes. He'd shown her that while she was standing around claiming that she couldn't change, she in fact already had.

Love had changed her.

It was with that thought and a smile on her face that she'd fallen back to sleep.

**BnBnBnB**

"What time is it?" Brennan asked, as she padded into the kitchen.

Booth looked up from the paper and smiled at her over his coffee cup. She was wearing the bright orange Flyers sleep pants that he'd given her for her birthday and his black sweatshirt. He imagined she was wearing one of the tight tank tops that she favored underneath the oversized hoodie, and realized he'd have to derail that train of thought if they were going to stay out of the bedroom.

"Almost noon," he answered.

"Why did you let me sleep so long?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"It's been a long week," he answered. "Between moving and hosting the whole fan–damily for dinner yesterday, I figured you were wiped out. You deserve a little r and r."

"Does that mean we're staying in today?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

"Yep," he answered, with a feather-light kiss to her temple. "Parks is all wrapped up in that computer, and he still has two DS games that he hasn't tried yet. I don't think we could get him to go out if we wanted to, and besides this is kind of what we do."

"Another tradition?"

"I never really thought of it that way, but yeah I guess so. Whenever Parker and I are together for Christmas Day, we usually just veg out at home the day after. He gets to break in his new toys and I get to enjoy a quiet day at home with my kid. It's a win-win. And now that we get to share the day with you too," he said as a huge grin spread across his face, "it's a win-win-win."

"Though I'm familiar with the term, 'veg out,'" she said, "I'm not sure that I've ever actually attempted it. I don't know that I can."

He laughed out loud, set down his coffee cup and pulled her into his lap.

"That's the cool thing about vegging out, babe. It can be whatever you want it to be. For me, I'm thinking it's gonna be stretched out on the couch watching football. It would be great if you were curled up with me, but I have a feeling that for you it's gonna be holed up in the office getting your next chapter done."

"That's the cool thing about using a laptop, babe," she said, mimicking him. "I can curl up with you on the sofa and still get some writing done."

Her eyes were sparkling as she kissed the tip of his nose.

"And that reminds me," she said. "Come with me."

She stood up from his lap and held her hand out to him.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"I need to get my computer," she said, "and you need to get your Christmas present."

"That's right," he said, his excitement level rising to childlike giddiness. "You were gonna give me another present this morning, but we fell asleep."

"We didn't _fall asleep_," she corrected. "You kept me hostage in bed…"

"And I didn't hear you complaining."

"No, you didn't."

He followed her to the study where a large box was sitting on his desk.

"You hid my present in the office?"

"It seemed the safest place to keep you from finding it," she said with a grin.

"Are you insinuating I don't do enough work, Bones?"

"No," she answered. "Not at all. But I have found that even though you have a perfectly good desk and workspace, more paperwork gets done at the kitchen counter or in front of the television."

"What can I say?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I sit behind a desk enough at work. At home, I like a change of scenery."

"And easy access to SportsCenter," she quipped.

"Ah baby, you know me so well. So, what did you get me?"

"See for yourself," she said.

He walked over to the desk and picked up the box. It was heavier than he expected.

"Be careful," she cautioned. "It's fragile."

She began wringing her hands as he slowly tore off the paper. She had thought it was a perfect gift at the time, but the one he'd gotten her was so _personal_. Granted the photo frame was personal, but it was really just a trinket. She'd always intended this to be his main gift. She had only given him the frame first the night before because she had been swept up in the sentimentality of them both choosing the claddagh to represent their commitment.

He took off the paper and carefully opened the top of the cardboard box. Peeling back the flaps, he still had no idea what was inside the package because he was met with Styrofoam packing.

"Let me help you," she said.

She walked over and held the box while he pulled out the packing from inside. He set it on the table and pulled the Styrofoam away.

"Oh my god, baby," he said. "This is gorgeous."

"You really like it?" she asked warily.

"Are you kidding? Come here."

He kissed her fully and then sat down in his chair, pulling her down into his lap.

"Thank you," he said, before turning his attention back to the item now sitting on his desk.

It was a lamp, tiffany styled with the Flyers logo in the shade. It had a heavy bronze base and it was stunning. He thought it was the perfect combination of class and sports memorabilia kitsch.

"You can put it anywhere in the apartment you want," she said. "But I thought it might look really great in your new office."

"You're right, it will," he said, and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "I know you probably had your heart set on having it in the living room," he added with a wink. "But you won't be too disappointed if I take it down to the Hoover, will you?"

"I think I'll manage."

"Thank you, baby," he said, bringing her hand to his lips. He kissed her knuckle just above the new ring. He had to admit, if only to himself, that it gave him a little thrill to see it there.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, taking his hand in hers.

She rubbed gently over the fourth finger on his left hand. Suddenly, it seemed inappropriately bare.

"You know," she said. "You're going to be working with a completely different group of agents now…"

"Yes," he said, wondering how she got there and where she was going.

"I've seen the way those women in Missing Persons look at you," she said with a mischievous smile gracing her beautiful face. "Maybe we should take a trip down to the jewelry store so I can get a sign of ownership of my own."

The sound of his laughter filled the apartment.

"Ring me, tag me, brand me," he said. "Whatever you need, baby. I'll even get _Property of Temperance Brennan_ tattooed on my ass if it will make you happy."

"Now that's a thought," she said with a mock-seriousness and sarcasm he didn't know she possessed. "Let me get back to you on that one."


	8. Drop the Ball

**AN- I think there's a little more left in this one…but the Christmas holidays are winding down and so is this story. Thanks for all your support… I love to get your reviews, so please keep them coming!**

Chapter 8 - Drop the Ball

"Bones, are you sure we have everything?" Booth asked, amused by the bags that had been packed for their overnight stay at the Hodgins'.

"I believe we have do," she answered. "Our overnight bags have everything we need for tonight and fresh clothes for tomorrow… the macaroni and cheese is with the wine in the basket on the counter…"

"I've got my DS, Dad," Parker interjected. "It's so cool that I get to go with you guys. Whenever Mom goes out on New Year's, I always have to stay with a babysitter."

"Jack and Angela said it's a family celebration," Brennan said. "They specifically requested that you come."

"Awesome," Parker said.

"Now," Booth said warily, "I don't know how many other kids will be there, if any…"

"I know, that's why I'm bringing my DS."

"Jack said something about hooking you up with the PS4…" Brennan said, concentrating to make sure she got it right.

Booth's jaw dropped as he looked at her.

"PS4," he said. "Baby, are you sure you got that right?"

"Yes, Booth," she answered. "I'm certain that is what he said. Is something wrong?"

"The PS4 isn't supposed to come out until next year!" Parker exclaimed.

"Leave it to Hodgins to have the hottest gaming system ever invented before it's even released. Hell, he probably bought out Sony or something. Bones, I hope you and Ange have plenty of girl talk, 'cause I might be holed up with Bub here in the man cave all night."

"Booth," she said with an exasperated sigh. "The video game will be provided to help keep the children occupied. You will be expected to participate with the other adults."

"Babe, I guarantee you that if there is a PS4 in that house, you ladies are on your own. Hodgins probably can't wait to show it off, Wendell is gonna be stoked, you won't be able to tear Sweets away, and I'm pretty psyched about it myself. I can't say for sure, but I bet even Paul will be jazzed for this game."

"I will never understand grown men and their propensity for electronic toys."

"Hey there anthropology lady," Booth said, with a sarcastic grin plastering his face. "I think there might just be a paper in that."

"You're right," she answered seriously. "I should get my data recorder. I already have a digital camera in my bag."

"Bones, I was kidding," Booth said, whining.

"I know you were," Brennan answered. "But you're correct. And although as you've recently taken to pointing out, my main field of study is physical anthropology, it would be very good for me to continue being published in the cultural field as well."

"What is she talking about, Dad?" Parker asked in a loud whisper. "Is she gonna study us?"

"I think so, Parks. I think so."

**BnBnBnB**

"Oh man, look at you," Booth said to Angela as they followed her to the Hodgins' kitchen. "You look like you're about to pop."

"I still have three more weeks, Big Man," she said, backhanding him in the solar plexus. "Watch it."

"Careful Booth," Hodgins warned, wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders. "She's been a little _moody_ lately," he added in a whisper.

Parker plopped himself down on a counter stool while the adults unloaded Brennan's basket.

"Bren, you brough mac 'n cheese, God love you," Angela cooed.

"We also brought three bottles of the wine we found from that great little winery in Kentucky," Brennan said.

"You've got to love it," Hodgins said. "We've got some of the best wines from France, Chile, and California…and you two go ga-ga over that stuff from Kentucky."

"The region is actually rich in wine history," Brennan said. "In 1798, Kentucky was the site of the United States' first commercial vineyard, planted by the winemaker for the Marquis de Lafayette, and by the late 1800s, Kentucky was the third largest grape and wine producer in the states. Although Elk Creek Vineyards have only been around since the early 2000s, they are Kentucky's biggest wine maker, and they make an excellent wine."

"Yeah, and you guys remember that case we had a few years ago with the Virginia wine makers, they had some really good stuff, too" Angela said. "It's not all about California anymore. Too bad I can't have any."

"So, who's all coming to this shindig, anyway?" Booth asked.

"Let's see," Angela said. "Cam and Paul…Michelle's going out with friends. Wendell and Peyton, they're bringing Kelsey…"

"I still can't believe Perotta has a kid," Booth said. "All those years of working together and we didn't know."

"We didn't know about Parker until nearly two years after we met you," Brennan reminded him. Booth nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I think it surprises me more that she's dating Wendell."

"Well, look at the four of us," Angela said. "Our little lab is a regular love zone. Sweets is bringing Shelby, and it should be interesting…they just got back yesterday from spending Christmas in Georgia with her family. And in a rare show of social fraternization, Clark is coming with Lauren. Don't be surprised if she shows up with a Christmas rock on her finger…"

Booth caught his partner's surprised expression.

"I think she means that Clark proposed to Lauren over Christmas," he said. "Ange, what are we gonna do when you go on maternity leave and there's no one to fill us in on everyone's private lives?" Before Angela could answer, he went on. "You know, they call it _private_ for a reason."

"Now you sound like Clark," Angela retorted.

They all looked up to see Cam and Paul walk in followed by Michelle.

"I brought green bean casserole and sweet potato pie," Cam said. "Can you tell we went to visit my granny in Alabama instead of my folks in New York over Christmas?"

"A family potluck," Michelle said, setting down the pie that she'd carried in. "Just the way everyone wants to spend New Year's Eve."

"I think it was a stroke of genius," Cam said. "This is going to be fun, and much better than getting all dressed up and sitting around at one of those galas that the museum likes to throw…"

"That's what I thought, too," Angela said, rubbing her hands over her extended belly. "I definitely couldn't handle black tie tonight. But Chelle, I thought you were going out…"

"I am," she answered. "Calvin is picking me up here."

"And he's bringing her back here by 1:30," Cam said, more for her daughter's benefit than anyone else's.

"Paul, I was just about to grab a beer for Booth," Hodgins said, "can I get you one?"

"Sure," Paul answered. "Thanks."

"I'll take a glass of Chardonnay," Cam said. "And thanks for asking."

"Oh, me too," Brennan answered. "That sounds good."

The doorbell rang, and everyone looked up.

"I'll get it," Michelle answered.

Angela loved how everyone had become so comfortable at the Hodgins' estate. She'd hosted their squint family for many events since their return from Paris and everyone felt as at home there as she and Jack did.

"So, Sweets went to Atlanta with Shelby for Christmas?" Booth asked, taking a pull of his Sam Adams. "Must be getting serious."

"They are," Cam answered. "And I really like her. Sweets was kind of a mess when you guys all left. Daisy had just broken up with him, and nothing was the same around here… it took him a while to get it together."

"They met at that little coffee shop down by the Hoover, right?" Angela said. "They both went in for a cup at the same time every morning and one day she finally introduced herself…. It's so romantic."

"And then she turns out to be DC's newest Assistant US Attorney, working under Caroline Julian," Cam said.

"What did Caroline say that time we were all at Founding Fathers'?" Booth asked.

"She called us an incestuous little bunch," Hodgins answered.

"And wondered how in the hell I managed to squeeze my way in," Paul added, laughing with the other men. "I often wonder that myself."

"You're just extremely lucky, honey," Cam said with a smile and a quick kiss.

Michelle returned, followed by Wendell, Peyton and Kelsey.

"Hey everybody," Wendell said, setting a crock pot down on the counter.

"I brought chili," Peyton said.

"Well, this is definitely a potluck," Angela laughed. "We've also got ribs, chicken and a green salad, Bren's macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole and sweet potato pie. This is a Texas Sunday dinner if I ever saw one. Don't be surprised if my dad pops up out of nowhere."

"I brought some movies that Kelsey likes and she's got her DS," Perotta said.

"I brought my DS, too," Parker said. "We can play against each other. What movies did you bring?"

The pretty blonde eight-year-old walked over to compare games with Parker and the adults got back to their conversation as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Michelle said, running out of the room.

"She's going to keep doing that until it's Calvin at the door," Paul said with a smile.

**BnBnBnB**

True to Booth's prediction, after dinner. the men spent most of the evening in Hodgins' man cave oohing and ahhing over the new video game system. The kids pouted a little when they finally realized that they probably weren't going to get a turn playing with the PS4. They found a quiet corner and played with their DS games for a while before leaving them in favor of a couple of the board games Hodgins had gotten out for them.

The ladies did plenty of oohing and ahhing of their own over Lauren's engagement ring and the pretty pink nursery that was just waiting for a little baby girl to inhabit it. Then they made their way to the living room. Knowing that her husband had planned to show off his newest toy to the boys, she'd made plans of her own for the girls.

They broke out the pints of Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia and Phish Food and curled up on the sofa for a girls' only viewing of "Pretty Woman" on the 82 inch LED screen.

"Oh my god, Angela," Peyton said around a spoonful of Ben and Jerry's. "This is the only way to live. You're right, this is so much better than one of those stuffy galas."

"I agree," Brennan said. "This is much more relaxing than attending a black tie gala at the museum."

"Thank you for having us, Angela," Lauren said. "I know that Clark comes off as sort of closed off most of the time, but he really does think of you all as family and I know it meant a lot for him to be included tonight."

"We're really glad you came," Angela answered. "You and Clark are always welcome," she went on, "but we don't always know if he'd be interested in coming."

"He's interested," Lauren said. "We both are."

"Good to know," Angela said, as the credits began to roll. She looked over at the clock. "Oh my god, look at the time. Cam, Bren, will you go round up the boys? It's time that this party goes back to co-ed."

After much grumbling and whining, Hodgins, Paul, Sweets and Clark followed Brennan and Cam into the living room. Booth and Wendell brought up the rear, carrying two sleepy kids with them.

"It's time for Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve," Angela said. "Of course, its really Ryan Seacrest now, but this was the only way to ring in the new year when I was growing up. So, we've got about an hour 'til the ball drops, we can mute the TV when the really bad musical acts are on. And we can pass the time with a game of Trivial Pursuit."

"No way!" Booth whined. "I am _not_ playing Trivial Pursuit with a roomful of geniuses."

"Don't worry, Booth," Angela said, laughing. "I know what you mean. Let's play with three teams…. Me and Hodgie with Clark and Lauren against Cam, Paul, Peyton and Wendell and you, Bren, Sweets and Shelby…"

Fifty-seven minutes later, the team led by Booth and Brennan had left the other two in their dust. They'd all lived through songs by the Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Rascall Flatts and Bon Jovi and Booth was standing behind the love of his life with his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder as they watched the big luminous ball make its descent in Times Square.

Parker and Kelsey were asleep on the couch as the adults stood watching the television…each couple in their own embrace and watching the television.

"Ten… nine… eight…" they counted down along with the announcer on the television.

"I know you know this tradition, Bones," Booth whispered huskily in Brennan's ear as the others counted down.

"Seven… six… five…four…"

"When the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve," Booth said, his warm breath making her shiver. "You kiss the one you love and have good luck for the whole year…"

"Three… two… one… Happy New Year!"

As the sound of "Auld Lang Syne" played from the television, the six couples in the room were lost in each other's kisses. They were embracing not only the love that they shared for the other, but also in hope for the upcoming year.

So lost in each other were they, that no one noticed when Temperance Brennan pulled back from an incredible kiss to look into the eyes of the man she loved.

"Actually, Booth," she said. "The tradition of kissing at midnight wasn't exclusive to lovers. It can actually be traced back to the Roman Festival of Saturnalia, celebrating the Winter Solstice. But I believe you're referring to the later German and English legends that said that the first person you came into contact with after the bells chimed midnight set the tone for happiness and fortune in the coming year. A kiss with one you loved ensured good tidings, but a kiss from someone less favorable or no kiss at all meant misfortune for the coming year."

"Well, I guess that means we'll never have to worry about misfortune again, doesn't it?" He asked, leaning in for another passionate kiss.

"That makes no logical sense," she answered, catching her breath. "But I have to admit that the idea is very appealing."

Booth wasn't sure he'd ever heard sweeter words.

"Happy New Year, Bones," he said.

"Happy New Year, Booth."


	9. Football Fantasy

**Sorry it's been so long… "real life" kind of got in the way. I hope you enjoy… **

Chapter 9 – Football Fantasy

"Oh come on guys," Angela said, practically whining as Booth went out to load up the car. "It's still early."

"Yep," Booth answered, kissing her cheek as he walked past. "It sure is. That means I can get home before the first game starts."

"We _have _a television, Booth," she said. "Several, as a matter of fact… and Jack's _is_ bigger than yours," she added with an evil grin.

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Booth answered, just as saucily.

"I think she means televisions, Booth," Brennan whispered, not so quietly.

"Yes, baby, I know," he said with a wink. "I'm just giving her a hard time."

"Oh."

"Sorry, Ange," Booth said. "It's kind of a tradition. Me and Parks, and Jared if he's in town, always sit at our house and watch the Bowl games."

"I understand," Angela said, pouting as Hodgins pulled her close to his side.

"Thanks for having us," Brennan said, walking over to hug her friend. "That was the best New Year's Eve party I've ever attended."

"We should make it a regular thing," Jack offered.

"I like it," Booth said, nodding. "Another family tradition."

BnBnBnB

"Man, Seel," Jared said, leaning back on Brennan's sofa and propping his feet up on the table. "Does it get any better than this? This homemade pizza is fantastic. Who ever would have thought they'd see the day that Temperance Brennan went all domestic?"

"Shut up and don't let her hear you say that," Booth said, punching his brother playfully. "I don't intend to sleep on the couch tonight paying for your stupidity."

"We are a couple of lucky bastards," Jared said, laughing. "Aren't we?"

"We do have it pretty good," Booth answered, looking over his brother's shoulder and into the kitchen where Brennan and Padme were quietly talking.

"That we do, bro," Jared agreed. "That we do."

"Now, if only Penn would get it together and win this game…"

"I don't know, Dad," Parker piped up from his spot, sprawled out on the armchair. "The Gators are looking pretty good this year."

"Bite your tongue!" Booth said, looking at his son incredulously. "Are you or are you not a Booth?"

"Of course I am, but…"

"No buts, son," Booth went on. "You're a Booth and Booth men back Penn State."

"He's right, Parks," Jared agreed. "Although… Booth men also root for the Eagles, and your old man here never quite got the hang of that."

"Come on, Jar. Give me a break. Who didn't love Mean Joe Green and that Coke commercial? Dude, I was ten. I wanted to _be_ that kid."

"Yeah, yeah. So, drink Coke," Jared said, holding up a can. "But don't betray generations of Booth men and proud Philadelphians."

On that note, Booth got up to get another beer. He walked into the kitchen and greeted Brennan with a kiss.

"Hey, baby," he said softly.

"Is your game almost over?" she asked. "You've been watching football all day…"

"It's New Year's Day, Bones," he replied. "Bowl games as far as the eye can see. This one is the last one today, though. And it's almost half time."

"So it is almost over," Brennan stated.

"Sure," Booth answered with his head in the refrigerator.

"Tempe," Padme said, "football time isn't like real time. We're not going to get them out from in front of that television for hours yet."

"Wonderful," Brennan said, rolling her eyes. "I'm beginning to wonder why I bought the thing in the first place."

"Because you love me," Booth answered, slipping in another quick kiss as he headed back out into the living room.

BnBnBnB

After Jared and Padme had gone, they sat quietly in the living room; Booth going over reports, schedules and agent rosters he'd need to know before starting his new job in the morning, Brennan stretched out across from him on the sofa, her feet in his lap and her laptop on hers, working on her manuscript, and Parker once again sprawled out on the armchair with his nose in his DS.

Booth looked up from his paperwork and glanced at his family. His family. He never thought he'd have any of this… but everything that he needed was right here in this room. He had everything he ever wanted and everything he never knew he wanted. It didn't matter that he and Brennan weren't married. The commitment that she'd made to him meant more to her than a ring and a piece of paper ever could. He looked over at the clock on the mantle and realized the only downside to this idyllic little world… Parker had to go home to Rebecca's.

"Hey Parks," he said. "Time to start gathering up your gear. We've got to get you back to Mom's."

"Aww, Dad," Parker whined. "Do I have to? Can't I just hang out a little longer? I'm almost on level nine…"

"And you can play the game in the car on the way back to your Mom's," his father said, interrupting him. "You know the rules, Bub. You've been here more than a week, and you've got school tomorrow."

"But I can go to school from here," Parker said, protesting.

"Now, Parker."

"Yes, sir," Parker answered, head down as he walked to his room.

"I hate this part," Brennan said, looking over at Booth.

"I know, Baby," he said, rubbing her foot. "And unfortunately, it never gets any easier. I mean, the older he gets, the more time Becca lets him spend with me…but I hate taking him home now as much as I did when he was a baby."

"I wish there was something I could do to make it better," she said, shutting down her computer and setting it on the coffee table.

She pulled her feet out of his lap and scooted over to sit next to him. She leaned in to him and rested her head on his shoulder as he pulled her close.

"You do," he answered. "Just by being here. Now, when I take him back to Rebecca, I don't have to come home alone. I have you and that's more than I could ever ask for."

"I love you, Booth," she said softly.

"I love you, too, Bones… more than you'll ever know."

"Oh yeah?" she asked, looking up at him with a half smile.

"Yeah," he answered, leaning down to cover her lips with his.

As the kiss came to an end, she stretched to whisper in his ear.

"Take your son home," she said. "And when you get back, I might let you show me just how much you love me."

BnBnBnB

"Dad," Parker asked from the passenger's seat.

"Yeah, Bub?"

"Are you and Bones gonna get married?"

"Probably not, Parks," he answered honestly. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I mean, you guys love each other, right?"

"Right," Booth answered. "Very much."

"And you live together…"

"Mmm-hmm."

Booth didn't elaborate. He wasn't sure where his son was going with this line of questioning and he didn't want to lead him down any more complicated roads.

"Well…" Parker began, and then stopped with a sigh.

"What is it Parks?"

"Don't you want to have more kids?"

_Wow… talk about left field._

"Well, yeah," Booth answered truthfully. "I might like to have more kids some day…"

"I think Bones would be a really good mom," Parker said.

"Me too," his dad answered with a smile full of love.

"And I'd really like to have a little brother."

"Maybe you should talk to your mother about that."

"I did," he said. "She said I was enough for her, and Drew loves me but he doesn't want any more kids."

"I see," Booth said warily, keeping his eyes on the road, but casting a sidelong glance at his son.

"She said it was up to you and Bones."

_Thanks, Becs_.

"I had a really good time with you guys this week," Parker said. "I'm really glad we're living with Bones now."

"Me too, buddy," Booth said. "Me too."

BnBnBnB

Booth got home and found the apartment dark and quiet. His thoughts quickly went from his conversation with Parker on the way to Rebecca's to his conversation with Bones before he left. Smiling, he locked the door and did a quick check around the apartment before heading for the bedroom.

He opened the door and his heart melted at the sight before him. The room was illuminated by candles and smelled of vanilla and sandalwood. The bed was turned down, revealing his favorite deep chocolate brown sheets. He didn't have any idea how high the thread count was or what the hell a thread count was, even. He just knew that sleeping in those sheets was like heaven. Bones always said that there were certain things you splurged on when you could afford the things that she could, and good sheets were at the top of her list.

Then he looked over at her. She was wearing what appeared to be a new peignoir set… deep burgundy in color, it was a short nightgown with matching robe. The gown top was made of sheer lace and the satin robe hung open.

She was drop dead gorgeous, sexy as all hell, and sound asleep.

Laughing softly to himself, he walked around the room putting out the candles. He stripped down to his boxers and walked over to her side of the bed. Gently, he slipped the robe off her shoulders and laid it across the foot of the bed. He picked her up and pulled the covers back further so that he could lay her back down underneath them. He lovingly kissed her lips as he tucked her in and walked around to climb into the bed beside her.

"Sleep well, Bones," he said.

"I'm awake," she mumbled.

"Yeah," he said, laughing. "Sure you are."

"No, really," she said, turning to settle herself against his chest. "How was the drive to Rebecca's? Did the two of you get a chance to talk?"

She had made a concerted effort since she and Booth had been together to make sure that he still had ample alone time with his son. That would be even harder now, with them living together, but they would manage. She knew that father-son bonding time was important to both Parker's development and their relationship.

"We did," he said.

"Good," she answered, snuggling closer as she rested her hand over his heart. "I'm glad."

"Wanna know what we talked about?" Booth asked.

"No," she answered. "The two of you need things to keep between yourselves."

"Maybe so," Booth answered. But this wasn't it.

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"He wants a little brother," he said, looking up at the ceiling while subconsciously tracing small patterns on her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, wondering what her partner's thoughts were on the subject.

"Yeah," he answered without giving her a clue.

Another long silence passed before he spoke.

"Becca told him it was up to us."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That we'd take his request under advisement," he said, showing her his charm smile before leaning in for a passionate kiss.

It was better she not know about their discussion regarding marriage and children. Even though he was resigned to the fact that marriage probably wasn't in the cards…even though he knew all the things that Dr. Temperance Brennan always said about the institution of marriage… even though he knew they could be happy without it, building a life just the way they were… even with all that, there was still a part of Seeley Booth that was an old-fashioned Catholic who wanted nothing more than to marry the love of his life and have a whole house full of kids. He'd told his son that he'd like to have more children, but that he hoped that he and Bones would be married first.

This, of course, had made little sense to Parker who had just heard his father tell him that he and Bones probably would never get married. Grownups could be really confusing sometimes.

"We've just moved in together," she said, punctuating her statement with a long, passionate kiss. "And I don't know that now is the right time to start adding to our family," she went on, kissing him again. "But I do think that it's a topic worth pursuing…"

This time, she climbed on top of him as she kissed him.

"Now might not be the right time," he said, breathlessly. "But maybe we ought to practice a little."

She looked down at him hungrily, her eyes dark with passion and still sparkling with love.

"I think perhaps we should practice… a lot," she said.

And practice they did… all night long.

The end…

…for now.

**AN- And so we come to the end of this little holiday journey. I don't think that this is the last we'll see of the "Story" universe. I may break it out from time to time when we're in need of a fluff fix. I've got a couple of ideas for new stories that I hope to start soon. Definitely a little darker than what you're used to from me… but I'm sure they'll still be full of BnB love. Thanks for all your comments and support. Your words keep my words coming… you know what to do, review! **


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